


First Meetings

by kimchiwrites



Series: Star Wars AU [1]
Category: Batman (Comics), DCU
Genre: Alternate Universe - Star Wars Setting, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-03-05
Updated: 2016-03-05
Packaged: 2018-05-24 20:36:04
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,599
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6165958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kimchiwrites/pseuds/kimchiwrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <em>The boy turns, and Bruce’s breath catches as bright blue eyes that glow with the song of the Living Force lock with his own, something indescribable humming in the space between their gazes as the whole world falls into the background.</em>
</p>
<p>A Knight meets his future Padawan.</p>
            </blockquote>





	First Meetings

“I didn’t think I’d find _you_ here of all people, Bruce.”

The Knight in question did not turn towards the mild amusement gently filling the Force behind him, merely grunting in response. His eyes were instead locked on the dance of training blades far below him as the initiates wove back and forth in the main training salle.

“I could say the same for you, Diana. Don’t you already have a padawan of your own?”

His ice-blue eyes flickered briefly towards much warmer ones as Jedi Knight Diana Prince stepped abreast of him, a serene smile on her lips as she folded her hands into her sleeves. Diana tilted her head briefly in acknowledgement of the fact, but seemed unruffled in the slightest. They lapsed into a comfortable silence, their long years of friendship and service together allowing them to simply enjoy the presence of one another. Unwittingly Bruce relaxed, the soothing aura of calm and peace that Diana exuded constantly a soothing balm that helped him to settle his thoughts as his mind slipped into an almost meditative state.

He began to ruminate again on the feeling that had been bugging him ever since he had stepped foot into the Jedi Temple after his latest mission. The Force seemed almost, dare he say it, _giddy_ with excitement. An itch had made its way under his skin, the Force seeming to poke and prod at him at every moment of the day for weeks on end until finally even his legendary iron will had been worn down. But why now?

“So,” Diana began, wincing slightly as a Mon Calamari female slipped after a particularly enthusiastic Shii-Cho thrust and dissolved into tears as she clutched at her sprained ankle, “how was Felucian space? From what I hear you had _quite_ the adventure.”

Bruce let his musings slip back into the recesses of his mind as he turned towards his friend, an amused twitch at the corners of his mouth. Below them, a Nautolan boy made a wobbly but effective Soresu counter to his opponent’s Djem So down-swing, and a mutter of approval washed through the watching Jedi. “Did Clark tell you?”

Diana grinned. “Naturally.”

“A minor pirate raid on a Felucian trading port—nothing I couldn’t handle,” Bruce murmured absently as his eyes roamed over the rest of the initiates. His eyebrows rose as the smallest of the bunch executed an almost flawless Ataru flip over a gawping Mirialan’s head, ‘saber extending almost as an afterthought towards his opponent’s exposed neck as he stuck the landing. The Mirialan blinked, before a good-natured smile broke over his face and he flicked his lightsaber off, bowing as he accepted his defeat graciously. The littlest one’s face beamed as he too deactivated his lightsaber and bowed in return.

“Naturally,” Diana repeated, amusement coloring her words a soft orange in the Force.

A moment, and then: “Has anyone caught your eye?”

“… I’m not going to take on a padawan, Diana. We’ve been over this before.”

Diana gave him a _look_ , and Bruce had to look away. “Please, Bruce. Why else would you be here? It’s certainly not for the educational value of watching initiates practice, and I _know_ it’s not to see how John’s faring as the new training Master.”

The Korun Master in question was weaving his way in between pairs of fighting initiates, sharp eyes watching carefully to make sure none of the initiates endangered themselves or their partner as ‘sabers danced in arcs of light through the air.

“Perhaps I simply wished to see how promising the next generation of Jedi would be, Diana,” Bruce said, ignoring how weak the excuse sounded to even his own ears.

Diana let out an uncharacteristically undignified snort, but allowed the silence between them to settle once more. Bruce let out an almost imperceptible sigh of relief. He knew that if Diana pressed, Bruce would have eventually been forced to give in. Iron-willed he may be, but none could face the full force of Diana Prince’s determination and not eventually waver.

Bruce’s eyes followed the slight little waif as he joined with another human boy, this one with flaming red hair and a generous scattering of freckles, both boys grinning at each other in friendly but determined competition as they ignited their training ‘sabers. Diana followed his gaze before alighting on the little one who had captured her friend’s attention. She fought the grin that tried to steal over her face, reinforcing her mental shields to make sure that none of her glee made it past to alert her friend. She must not have been as successful as she thought, because Bruce glanced at her in suspicion before returning his attention to the match below.

“… Is there something you’d like to say, Diana?” Bruce finally allowed after a long moment, as the female Knight seemed to almost vibrate with contained laughter. The redheaded boy’s ‘saber seemed to blur in the air in a flurry of strikes and Shii-Cho thrusts paired with a clumsy Ataru spin, but failing to land on the smaller boy who always seemed to be one step ahead. Laughter bubbled from the throats of both boys as the smaller one flipped onto one hand and over the head of the redheaded boy before landing on his feet and raising his ‘saber to block the flurry of strikes that awaited him.

“It’s a wonder, isn’t it? The innocent laughter of a child,” Diana spoke, a small smile on her lips.

Bruce’s eyes narrowed, his arms crossing over his chest as he refused to meet what he knew would be an all-too-knowing gaze. “… I don’t know what you mean.”

Diana raised an eyebrow. “No? Hm. Then I must have simply imagined the way your eyes were locked onto one of the only two laughing children below.”

Bruce remained stubbornly silent. Speaking would concede defeat, and he was a poor loser. Instead, he watched as the little boy jumped and darted about, the Force seeming to laugh along with him as he seemed to spin through the air with little regard for gravity, ‘saber flashing like wings of plasma as he danced around his equally joyful partner. The redhead’s strikes, while incredibly quick, had little thought behind them. The strategy was simply to overwhelm the other with the frequency of the strikes. If he had gone against any other opponent, perhaps, he would have been successful, but although the smaller fighter was nowhere near as quick with his ‘saber thrusts, he was much more agile, and seemed to always just be out of reach.

Unbeknownst to Bruce, he leaned forwards slightly, interest sparking in his eyes as he watched the boy’s graceful dance. He could not tell if the boy was using the Force consciously to enhance his not insignificant natural abilities, but he found himself slightly mesmerized with the ease of which the boy predicted and thwarted his friend’s attempts at landing a single blow. The Living Force dances with and within the boy, a willing and joyful partner as he steps and glides to its song, twisting and spinning in movements second-nature to the boy. His attacks, focused more on smaller precision strikes that would take down an opponent quickly, utilize cunning and flexibility over outright brute strength, qualities that perfectly compliment the boy’s natural style.

The potential in the boy was incredible to see, and the faintest stirrings of a possibility bloom in his chest. The Force _thrums_ with approval, and Bruce starts as he realizes that the ever-present itch under his skin is gone.

The smaller fighter whirled on his feet in a graceful pirouette of blue light as his training lightsaber flashed in two arcs: one to block his partner’s sideways thrust and the other darting down to knock his partner off his feet. The redhead went down with a yelp, landing hard on his butt. He grabbed at the light red mark on his ankle, a pout threatening to form on his little face as he rubbed at the reddening patch of skin. The sabers were on their lowest possible setting, but they still smarted when making direct contact. The smaller one disables his lightsaber and is at his friend’s side in an instant, helping him back up onto his feet. The redhead looks sheepishly up at the watching Jedi, but straightens, picking up the ‘saber he’d dropped, and bows in an exaggerated motion to his giggling friend.

The boy turns, and Bruce’s breath catches as bright blue eyes that glow with the song of the Living Force lock with his own, something indescribable humming in the space between their gazes as the whole world falls into the background. There is nothing here but the presence (so familiar, so understanding, _a kindred soul_ ) of the little boy staring up at him in wonder as they feel a bond snap into place with a sudden _rightness_ that threatens to choke Bruce with emotions he would not allow himself to truly feel. He blinks, and the moment is gone. Bruce realizes then that he’d been grasping the edge of the railing ringing the observation deck, one hand lifting of its own accord towards the retreating figure of the little boy. He blinks, and notices that beside him Diana’s Force signature practically _glows_ with satisfaction. Bruce grimaces, and turns to face his doom.

Diana pats him on the shoulder consolingly, but the humor on her face betrays her true feelings. “I expect a visit from both you and your little apprentice within the week.”

Bruce sighs, and resigns himself to his fate.

**Author's Note:**

> I've had this AU bouncing around in my head for a while and decided--hey, why not write something for it? ¯\\_(ツ)_/¯


End file.
